Flow control valve



June 16, 1953 R. E. MOORE v FLOW CONTROL VALVE Filed April 13, 1951 Patented Junev 1 6, 1953 Robert E. Moore, Winnetka. Ill., assignor to Bell & Gossett Company, MortonfiGrove', 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 13, 1951, Serial Nb.'220,s2s

4 Claims.

My invention relates to flow control valves whichare pressure operated in an opening direc tion and is concerned more particularly with that type which is vertically reciprocable between opened and closed positions.

A characteristic form of this valve includes a valve member slidably mounted for vertical movements on a stem, the member being raised in an opening direction by fluid pressure and gravity moved to closure when the pressure is removed. A typical application of the valve occurs in forcibly circulated, hot water heating systems wherein the valve opens in response to the operation of a thermostatically controlled pump to permit circulation through the radiating part of the system and closes when the pump stops, i. e., when thedemand of the space being heated is satisfied. Sufi'icient clearance must be provided between the valve member and its stem to insure its free gravity movement to closure, but this condition sets up a chattering action when the pump starts running and the noise thus created is transmitted through the associated piping and is objectionable, particularly in domestic installations.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a flow control valve in which the opening pressure is directed against the valve member in such a way that the member is tilted or rocked into non-chattering contact with the valve stem and maintained in this position as long as the pressure is effective.

A further object is to provide a valve of the character indicated in which the valve seat is conditioned to achieve the required direction of pressure against the valve member.

These and further objects of the invention will be set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and

the novel means by which said objects are effectuated will be definitely pointed out in the claims:

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the valve with v the valve member in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but'showing the valve member in open position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve seat looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the valve member looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I desiging relation to the wall I I and threaded through the cap l4is a vertical stem [5. Exteriorly of nates a hollow valve body which is divided inthe cap I4, the valve. stem l5 carries a handle [6 for manually shifting the stem into and out of the body I0.

Within the body I0, there is slidably mounted on the stem 15 a, valve member I! comprising a valve disk l8 and spaced. parallel legs l9l9 which extend upwardly from the disk and are respectively positioned on opposite sides of the stem l5. The legs I9 are connected by vertically spaced, annular ribs 2020 that are apertured for free sliding engagement with the stem l5 below the cap l4, the legs and ribs accordingly constituting a skeleton structure for guidably mounting the disk I8 on the stem l5. Between the ribs 20, the stem I5 is provided with an annular shoulder 21 for a purpose presently explained.

For coaction with the valve disk 18, the wall H is apertured to receive a bushing 22 which is axially aligned with the stem l5 and valve member l1 and in effect constitutes a part of the wall ll. Specifically, the bushing 22 includes an annular valve seat 23 for sealably contacting the under side of the valve disk [8 in the usual manner and a generally segmental web 24 which partially closes what would otherwise be a passage determined by the inside diameter of the bushing. The top and bottom surfaces 26 and 25, respectively, of the web 24 are parallel, the top surface 26 being preferably depressed below the seat 23 and with its free edge shaped as a fanciful W as shown in plan view in Fig. 3, this shape being suggestive only. The exposed edge 1 face 21 of the web 24 is beveled so that the area of the surface 26 is greater than that of the surface 25. Hence, the passage 28 through the bushing 22 decreases in size from the inlet chamber l2 towards the outlet chamber 13 and reaches a minimum in the throat 29 which is about coplanar with the'surface 26. Further, the throat 29 is positioned so that fluid passing therethrough strikes the under side of the valve disk I8 in an area generally offset with respect to the axis of the disk I8, the web 24 therefore acting asa baflle.

In the usual flow control valve having a valve member vertically slidable on a stem, the construction' is'generally identical with that shown in Fig. 1 except that the bushing 22 lacks the deflecting web 24 and the passage therethrough is completely determined by the inside diameter of the bushing. In a valve of this type, when the valve member is subjected to an opening pressure, there is a tendency for the member to chatter 3 as it rides upwardly along the stem and this chatter sets up a noisy condition which is transmitted through the associated piping. This noise is particularly objectionable in domestic hot water heating systems.

The sliding fit of the valve member H on the stem is of the order of .020" to .0327, which is the same as in the older types of valves, it being necessary to insure that the member will move freely in both directions without too loose a fit. It is believed that this sliding clearance, though small, is the cause of the chatter which is eliminated by the specially formed bushing 22 7 Assuming that the valve member ljlis in the closed position shown in Fig. '1, then when pressure is established in the inlet chamber 28, fluid moving into the passage 28 is deflected by the web 24 into contact with a limited portion of the exposed area of the underside of the valve'dislc 18. The pressureagainst the disk 18 is suificient to shift the valve member 11 to the open position shownin Fig. 2 in which the lower end of 'the stem l5 bottoms in a pocket 30 formed in the top side of the disk 18 and, importantly, the same pressure, by reason of its offset direction relation to the axis of the stem [5, tilts or rocks the valve member ll during its upward movement so that the lower and upper ribs 20 bear oppositely against the stem, respectively. Hence, the valve member 11 is held snugly against the stem 15 to thereby eliminate the chattering action.

When the pressure in the inlet chamber I2 is out 011, the valve member l'l drops by gravity to the closed position shown in Fig. 1. If for any reason, it becomes necessary to open the valve in the absence of pressure in the chamber 12, the same can be manually accomplished by rotating the handle 16 in the proper direction to thereby engage the shoulder 2| with the'upper rib '20 and raise the member I1.

I claim: 1. A flow control valve comprising a hollow bodyhavi'ng an interior wall including an apertureand defining with the body inlet and outlet chambers, a valve seat surrounding the aperture, a vertical stem mounted within the body coaxial with and above the seat, a valve member freely :sli dable on the stern for coaction with the seat, the member being moved upwardly in an opening direction by, pressure in theinlet chamberand gravity movedto closure when the pressure is out on, bafliefmeans partially closing the aperture and forming a throat offset from the axis of the stem whereby pressure operating through the throat rocks the member into snug contact with the stem.

2. A flow control valve comprising a. hollow body having an interior wall including, an aperture and defining with the body inlet and outlet chambers, a bushing having a valve seat mounted in the aperture, a vertical stem mounted within the body coaxial with and above the seat, a valve member freely slidable on the stem for coaction with the seat, the member being moved upwardly in an opening direction by pressure in the inlet chamber and gravity moved to closure when the pressure is cut off, and Web means carried by the bushing below the seat and "extending partially across the interior of the bushing to form a throat offset from the axis of the stem whereby pressure operating through the throat rocks the member into snug contact with the stem.

3, A flow control valve comprising a hollow body having an interior wall defining with the body inlet and outlet chambers, a valve seat carried by the wall, a vertical stem mounted within the body coaxial with and above the seat, and a valve member freely slidable on the stem for coaction with the seat, the wall including an opening therethrough lying within the seat and offset from the axis of the stem, the member being moved upwardly inan opening direction by pressure in the inlet chamber acting through the opening against an area portion of the member offset from the axis of the stem to thereby rock the member on and make snug contact with the stem and being gravity movedto'closure.

4. A flow control valve comprising a hollow body having an interior wall defining with the body inlet and outlet chambers, a valve seat carried by the wall, a vertical stem mounted within the body coaxial with and above the seat, and a valve disk cperablyrelated to the seat and having an upwardly extending'skeleton'structureineluding a pair of, vertically spaced guide elements slida'bly freely along the stem, the wall including an opening 'therethrough lying within the seat and offset from the axis of the stennthe disk being moved upwardly in an opening direction by pressure in the inlet chamber acting through the opening against an area portion of the disk offset from the axis of the stem to thereby rock the skeleton structure to snugly bear the upper and lower guide elements oppositely, re-

spectively, against the stem and being gravity moved to closure.

ROBERT E. MOORE.

'ReferencesCited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 345,197 Wade July '6, 1886 913,491 Greenlee Feb. 23, 1909 963,836 Varlie July 12, 1910 993,742 1 Wardlaw May 30, 1911 1,001,111 Wood Aug. 22, 1911 1,072,744 Levick Sept, 9, 1913 2,115,247 Bellinger Apr. 26, 1938 

